How many here have no health insurance?

Death to Insurance companies

I have Government (military) health coverage so I would say no I have no coverage.

is it the insurance companies' fault the hospital charges $2000 for a simple emergency room visit?

you can't afford a modest policy but can afford to go to costa rica? Yeah!

commie-dems always KNOW what we can afford

Yeah, since my husband is from there and all his family lives there and they have paid for our tickets to visit them, if you must know! And yes I got dental work done there for 1/4 of the price. I WOULD go there if I needed anything like a surgery or cancer treatment, etc. At least I would have a chance to pay for it unlike in the U.S. where cancer treatments bankrupt people and leave families with nothing! Not that I would even do chemo. I would advise everyone to go overseas for a major treatment. Fuck this greedy system.

Also, how is $400 a month "modest" anything for a family of four living on 30k a year? What a joke you are.

Don't be an ignorant blowhard calling people liars and shills when you don't know WTF you're talking about. Your state is $130@mo. and what's the DEDUCTIBLE?

Where I live it's $180@mo. with a $5000 deductible and an out-of-pocket max of $3000. That's means when almost any use it can run over 10 grand a year.

You sound like a shill for the insurance industry.

It won't help in an immediate emergency. I hope it doesn't happen, but if you find yourself needing emergency care here, they will work with you, take payments, and knock off a huge percentage of the 'cost'. Do some google research on self pay. You may be amazed.

Last Edited by Storm* on 01/25/2011 11:11 AM

We have a crappy high deductible group plan and HSA but my employer stopped contributing to the HSA's in July and then stopped paying the group premiums so it has been cancelled. Have two people out of work at home and can't afford any extra $ for more bills. None of us have any chronic health problems, thank goodness. I could see this coming years ago and took my health into my own hands so I wouldn't be dependent on the doctors and pharmacy.

Careful OP don't let the Health Insurance Czar know you are do not have insurance, you will be paying a hefty fine to be sure....
My wife and I have decent jobs and have mid range health insurance but, in the last 5-6 years our costs have sky rocketed. Our premium has nearly doubled and we have seen our copay quadrupling, with fewer services and test available.

in a way it is... hospitals certainly over charge but it's part of the game because the health insurance companies re-price the hospt charge based on a % or UCR (usual customary and reasonable) participating provider will be reimbursed based on negotiated price schedule. For instance a typical health insurance company will discount or re-price Lab and diagnostic imagining charges by as much as 85%. An outpatient surgical procedure i was involved in was re=priced from $12,000 to about $1,400 hospital charges and $635 for the surgeon (orthopedic). THE PROBLEM WITH IS TRANSPARENCY. Without transparency people will just accept anything the docs charge because the insurance company pays for it. shop this stuff where you can and negotiate with cash to reduce your out-of-pocket costs. I have a $5,000 deductible QHDHP with Illinois BCBS for me and my family and it's fine. I get the insurance discounts on my deductible amounts and catastrophic coverage ($5,000 plus) for the critical stuff.

edit: the present healthcare system is not a sustainable economic model due to transparency, ignorance, employer paid plans where everything is covered 100% (no skin in the game for the insureds), politics, law suits, non-payment of charges which is passed onto the those who pay, and very low gov medicare reimbursement schedules which force providers to make-up for shortfalls by over charging those who pay (typically those with health insurance which fuels the escalating premiums of health insurance).

Last Edited by Frankenstein on 01/25/2011 11:25 AM

An Emergency Room that I was forced to go to charged me over $5000, after I was admitted (for only 20 minutes!) with Hypothermia...that bill included a $200 charge for 2 Tylenol pills, as well as hundreds of dollars for other remedies that I could have purchased, myself, for $10 at a drug store. Worse yet, the doctor misdiagnosed me, yet I was still forced to pay the bill. :(

Hospitals certainly are every bit as evil as politicians & mega-corporations, it would seem...

(Oh, & I'm "rolling the dice", too - I don't make enough to pay for health insurance, but I make too much to qualify for any assistance.)

Oops...
Right, which I figure is better than paying out the ears for a policy with a high deductible. Last time I used the ER they worked with me and I was happy. Other times, I've made payments, even $50 a month. For the amount of money I spent yearly on medical it makes more sense for me to be uninsured and pay out of pocket than the deductible. I take good care of myself though too and am still young. I'd hate to be uninsured and be older. The system is broken due to greed, plain and simple.

Rolling the dice, and got stuck paying off a $3000 ER visit bill b/c I had to go to the ER 1 week before my insurance policy kicked in at my last job, which I subsequently lost in the economic downturn. 20 minute visit and an antibiotic RX and 3K in debt, after years of working to get debt-free.

I live in fear of another 3K visit.

none here.......
Rolling the dice

yes, i must know.!!.. (sheesh!) do you realize you could get dental care here in the US for free or at drastically reduced rates?

I'm 28 and have been rolling the dice for 10 years now. Only been to the doctor twice in that time and spent about 600$ total for visits, lab work, and prescriptions. So i spend about 60$ a year on health care this past decade. I'll get insurance if/when I have a family.

Bankruptcy is voluntary no body forcing someone to declare and responsible people purchase insurance like health insurance and disability insurance TO PREVENT THINGS LIKE THT FROM HAPPENING

... dumb ass socialist want everything given to them

not saying you are... just saying... comrad

Nice... not every state is the same- get with it

yes

Yeah, they are... do a little research. The programs described exist in each state but may be by different name. Get with it.

Last Edited by Frankenstein on 01/25/2011 11:38 AM

Sorry to hear of your misfortune.

I live in Canada.

We all have health insurance.

It's administered by the government, and paid for with tax money.

Of course, that means we're doomed to suffer horrendous abuse at the hands of the government, you know, death panels and all that.

I've been preparing for it since about 1982 when the health care system finally became free to everyone.

That's about what it would be for me.

And yeah, I agree about the shill thing too.

just don't pay it

The SpecialCare plan has no deductible , that's zero $ smartass. The BCBS insurance has unique arrangements with a major provider network that force discounts thereby the low premium. The plan has provisions with the state department of insurance that waives certain mandated benefits that otherwise increase premiums. I don't work for an insurance company. I am certified health underwriter and i work as a consultant to employers and write their benefits programs.

I haven't had any for ten years and can afford it. Its a scam. I'll finance my own healthcare and the insurance parasites can eat shit.

You're full of shit then. The Special Care health plans in my state are listed for HIV, and other specialized treatments, none of which I would be eligible for (thank god) though any patients must still meet those requirements.